







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | |
| It's about a web project. | |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | |
| And now we've got plenty of mushrooms left to use. | |
| It's difficult to find all the items manually on the self-checkout. | |
| Do we have any paper towels? | |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | |
| Do you really think it looks like we have a cleaner? | |
| As a result, he starts pooping and peeing all over the house. | |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | |
| Good thanks, I'm fine, too. | |
| Come on dear, I know you want me to! | |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | |
| How old are you? | |
| Yes, I can hear you, but I don't understand! | |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | |
| I think we should wait for a while till all that smoke disappears. | |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | |
| Yes, Bear eats one and a half cats everyday for breakfast. | |